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WRRC Salinity/Desalination ConferenceYuma, Arizona

Michael GabaldonDirector, Technical ResourcesBureau of ReclamationApril 26, 2011

RECLAMATIONManaging Water in the West

U.S. Department of the InteriorBureau of Reclamation

Grand Valley Project, Colorado

Western United States – Early 1900’s

Mission Statement• To manage, develop, and protect water

and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.

Mission

Storage

Water Conservation New

Technology

Transfer

348 Reservoirs (~ 450 Dams)

58 Hydroelectric Plants

55,000 Miles of Canals

$2B in Hydropower Assets

Infrastructure

Hydropower

• Second Largest Hydroelectric Producer in the U.S.A.

• Fifth Largest Electric Utility In The 17 Western States

• Produce 40B kwh Annually

• 192 Generating Units

• 27M Tons/Yr of CO2 Offset

Agricultural Irrigation

• Provides irrigation water to 20% of U.S. Western farmers (10M acres)

• Reclamation Projects enable farmers to produce 60% of the nation’s vegetables and 25% of the nation’s fruit and nut crops

Municipal And Industrial

Supplies About 10 Trillion Gallons Of Water To 31 Million People Every Year

Flood Control

• Regulating Flood Waters Has Prevented Destruction Of Cities And Agricultural Lands

• Billions Of Dollars Have Been Saved In Flood Damage Since 1950

Recreation (in partnership with others)

• About 90 Million Visitors A Year To Reclamation Projects And Lands

• 289 Recreation Sites That Feature Fishing, Boating And Camping

Annual Average Precipitation

Denver

Pacific Northwest Region

Pacific Northwest Region

Mid-Pacific Region

Upper Colorado Region

Lower Colorado Region

Great Plains Region

Mission

Storage

Water Conservation New

Technology

Transfer

AWT Strategy

• Intra-agency technical coordination• Inter-agency and non-federal technical

coordination• Assess the potential and impact of new water

supplies through AWT• Strengthen the scientific foundation of

research• Target demonstration activities• Enhance technology transfer and information

exchange

Water Quality Improvement Center - Yuma, AZ

• Evaluates technology for possible use at the Yuma Desalting Plant; year long YDP pilot run with MWD, CAWCD, SNWA

• In-house and partnered research programs• Agricultural tail water,

brackish groundwater, Colorado River water

• Only bench-to-demonstration-scale water research facility on the Colorado River

• A desalination R&D laboratory facility

Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility - NM

• Renewable energy sources for desalination

• Desalination of brackish groundwater

• Concentrate management• Small-scale rural systems• Treatment of produced waters• Public information and education

Renewable Energy

Applications Area

Agricultural Research Area

40-Acre Site

Central Research Building

Evaporation Ponds

Future Large-Scale Testing

Area

Boise Project, Idaho